Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-06-11
THE POWER OF CORPORATIONS.

the General Revenue Act. One of
the effects of this law would have
been to compel corporations to pay
tax on interest bearing securities
that hitherto escaped taxation, e.
timated at s35O,OOO,OOO, and which
would have returned S2,OO0,OOO
more in taxes to such counties as
were covered by the act. Two years
ago the corporations succeeded in
having their judgments and mort.
cages exempted from taxation by
the omission of the word "corpora.
tions in framing the law. Now it
is rendered unconstitutional by the
omission of the presiding officers
signature. The corporations had
made fight against the bill, and
there is suspicion that they had
something to do with rendering the
act null and void second time.
In all this fine talk one sees in the
papers about the RIGHTS of capital
and labor, this great fact is always
overlooked, that capital gets too
much rights and labor not enough /;
capital usurps the law, defeats the
law and is stronger than the law
by means of it's corrupting powers
and influences; while labor is too
weak in its unorganized condition
to obtain even a semblance of it's
right or to prevent capital from
getting more than it's just dues, and
is pOwerless to compel the law to
deal justly between them. The
farmer and laborer Escape no taxa.
ton, because they cannot, and are
too honest to do so if they could.
Corporations without any soul, are
not bound by scruples of right or
wrong, and by the free use of money,
franchises and privileges, threats,
promises and courtesies, can cheat
the people, the state and the gov.
eminent with impunity; as for
constitutions" satan himself could
not make one that would bind
monled corporation.
There is no strange secret in cor.
porations' success; they are bound
together by the strongest ties of
mutual benefts,-stronger than writ
ten agreement or legal enactment is
this pooling of mems issues in the
art of making money. Politics,
religion, social ties, are but spider
webs in their way. What difference
to them if they bride a Republican
or Democratic Legislature What
difference if they buy up infdels or
christians ? Pledge Of support is
the one important object,-and a
way is always found to carry it out.
Take the farmers, mechanics and
laborers, what strength of union
exists between them7 None They
slave ahead, pay all the burdens of
taxation imposed upon them; stand
all the obnoxious and damaging laws
enacted against them pass away
and leave to their children the nm.
equal struggles Of life to contend
against. AS individuals they can
do no better. They are divided by
party lines, by social distinctions, by
feelings of section and religion, and
there is no unity of action or senti.
ment of harmony among them.
On the other hand, notice the
testimony in the suit against the
Standard Oil officials the other
week: They were no company or
association, but a set of men bound
together for mutual interests in all
that they did or had to do with, and
the same principles were made to
govern all who came within their
grasp, from the officials down to the
cart.drivers. That's business, and
the dearest tie of kindred they &C.
knowledged. Corporation rights
gave way for nothing THE money.
making business first; the Lord and
the deep see afterwards. Only by
such bonded unity of purpose can
the control of a railroad business,
a telegraph system or an oil trade,
be obtained and maintained through
whole states and countries.
Corporations have another advan.
tage: few men manipulate the
whole. Millicnaires never fall out
together. Paupers fight over a
crust.
The remedy for all this labor agita-
ton lies in ORGANIZATIoN-uns
fish, mutual benefit association
Make labor and the fruit of labor,
the wages Of labor, the profits of
farming, and of every other indus.
trial pursuit,-make these your king
and your God AWAY with person
or politics Band together for your
mutual welfare,- read, think, study
and inform yourselves be beholding
to the demagogue Of no party; &C.
knowledge no power and recognize
or support nothing not in your favor.
Turn the lawyers and politicians out
Of xonr I.oniolatnror and MT ..e